Leadership Tools
What Do You Mean by Tools?
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Once 'Flow' (Csikszentmihalyi, 2014) has been intentionally considered in the instructional design process online tools can be utilized to make the learning engaging and fun.
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While there are many tools available, the ones that I have used are listed below.
Communication & Listening Tools
Communication tools such as CAMTASIA and FLIP for producing videos address the Social and Teacher Presence(s) component of the CoI.
Facilitators can post topics, or course introductions, and course participants can respond asynchronously via audio, video, or text.
CAMTASIA is a recording software that allows you to record and clip whatever is on your screen into a presentation. It is a relatively easy program to use. I edit prerecorded videos, adding sound and professional-looking introductions and exits with fading effects. I used it with POWERPOINT or SLIDESGO slides and MURAL presentations and recorded my voice over it. I then uploaded those videos to VIMEO or YOUTUBE and provide access to the target audience to view them.
FLIP (used to be FLIPGRID) is a free video discussion tool from Microsoft.
Graphic Presentation & Infomation Sharing Tools
Free graphic presentation tools such as CANVA can be extremely useful when designing professional social media memes, presentations, posters, videos, logos, infographics and other attractive media forms.
For information sharing, I frequently use a free design-thinking platform called MURAL because the visual thinking canvases can be modified to meet my needs. Once created, you can share them on your screen as an interactive presentation tool, invite unlimited amount of team members to participate in the project, download them and share them as a document.
Collaboration & Networking Tools
Tools for collaboration and networking, such as PADLET— a free online notice board that can be populated with media (pictures, video and article links). There are existing templates that you can modify or create your own. It is a very good way to conduct pre- or post-course assessments and interact with course participants to engage them in a discussion.
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Chat rooms, such as GOOGLE MEET/CHAT, facilitate peer-to-peer discussions, provide an online format for sharing information and resources, and post questions and answers about assignments. Participants can post their comments anonymously, or by their name, depending on how you set it up as a facilitator.
Gamification, Polling & Quizzing Tools
JEOPARDYLABS, a free online tool that you can develop a Jeopardy-like game. I use it as a formative or summative assessment to determine if the training course has met the learning objectives.
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Games , such as digital escape rooms, can be created through interactions using GOOGLE SITES and GOOGLE FORMS.
MENTIMETER, is a free visually appealing program to assess learning and take a pulse as to where course participants are at. The features that I have found to be effective are the word cloud creator as it creates the word in real-time, and the polling feature as it can be done synchronously or asynchronously. It can be used for Cognitive Presence, Social Presence, as well as Teacher Presence.
KAHOOT is a free digital game-based platform that uses quizzes, surveys, jumbles, discussions, and challenges. You design the activity to review course material or reinforce a point. If you want to have the activity done synchronously you provide the link to the website and a code that participants enter. It can also be used asynchronously; however, I have found with adult learners that it is more engaging to do these types of activities synchronously. It can be useful for both Teacher Presence and Cognitive Presence.